This one pan meal is restaurant-worthy but so easy to make!
Chicken Marsala has tender chicken breasts simmered in a mushroom Marsala sauce for an easy meal in about 30 minutes!

What is Chicken Marsala?
Chicken Marsala is an Italian-American classic chicken, mushrooms, and seasonings cooked in a creamy Marsala wine sauce.
- It looks and feels fancy but is easy to make in about 30 minutes.
- It uses a handful of staple ingredients and Marsala wine.
- You’ll need just one skillet—easy cleanup!
Ingredients for Chicken Marsala
- Chicken: I use boneless chicken breasts, but boneless chicken thighs or cutlets are great too.
- Marsala: Marsala is a fortified wine from Sicily. Be sure to choose a dry Marsala wine and not the sweet variety, which is best used for making Italian desserts. It can be replaced with sherry, port, or Madeira.
- Sauce: This Marsala sauce is made with chicken broth, butter, shallots, and thyme thickened with flour.
- Mushrooms: Use any variety of mushrooms. I love baby Bella (aka cremini mushrooms), but white mushrooms or portobellos are also great options.
Variations
- Flavor: Add garlic along with the mushrooms. You can replace shallot with red or white onion.
- Creamy: While it’s not traditional, for a creamier sauce, whisk in about ¼ cup of heavy whipping cream at the end of Step 2.
- Vegetables: Add chopped asparagus, spinach, or peas for more texture and color.
How to Make Chicken Marsala
- Cook seasoned chicken filets in oil and set them aside.
- Prepare the Marsala sauce, simmering until thickened.
- Return chicken to the pot and simmer until heated through (full recipe below).
Garnish with parsley and serve as desired.
Save it and Savor It
Keep leftover chicken Marsala in a covered container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days and reheat in the microwave or on the stovetop on medium heat.
Freeze cooled portions in zippered bags for up to a month. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator and reheat on medium heat.
What to Serve with Chicken Marsala
Did you make this Chicken Marsala Recipe? Leave a rating and comment below!
Chicken Marsala
Equipment
Ingredients
- 4 small boneless skinless chicken breasts 5 to 6 oz each
- ½ cup all-purpose flour
- 4 tablespoons olive oil
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
For the Sauce
- ¾ cup chicken stock or chicken broth
- 2 tablespoons butter
- ¼ teaspoon dried thyme leaves or 1 teaspoon fresh thyme
- 1 small shallot diced, or onion
- 8 ounces mushrooms white or brown, sliced
- 1 ½ tablespoons all-purpose flour
- ½ cup dry Marsala wine
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley or chives for garnish
Instructions
- Cover the chicken breasts with plastic wrap and use the flat side of a meat mallet or a rolling pin to pound to ¼-inch thick. Season with salt and pepper and dredge in flour.
- In a large skillet, preheat the olive oil over medium high heat. Cook the chicken in batches, 3-4 minutes per side or until cooked through. Transfer the chicken to a plate.
To Make the Sauce
- In the same pan, add 2 tablespoons butter, thyme, and shallot and cook over medium heat until tender, about 3 minutes. Add the mushrooms and cook until juices are released, about 5 minutes. Stir in 1 ½ tablespoons flour and cook for 1 minute more.
- Pour in the Marsala wine and stock or broth and simmer until thick and bubbly, about 3 minutes.
- Add chicken back into the pan and simmer for 2-3 minutes or until heated through.
- Garnish and serve over pasta.
Video
Notes
Nutrition Information
Nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and brands of ingredients used.
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I do not like the texture of mushrooms, my husband loves them. I pulled them out of my serving but the flavor was very good. I’ve made it several times.
I live in an independent living facility and we are not allowed to have stoves nor hot plates. I can have an air fryer and have one that I’ve yet to use. I’ve heard you can almost anything in them in a fraction of the time. Could this be done with an air fryer? Thanks.
I haven’t tried this in an air fryer however you could definitely cook the chicken breasts in the air fryer but the sauce would most likely need to be made on the stovetop.
looks so tasty will try these for all occasions during Christmas.
thank you
Could this be made in an air fryer?
I haven’t tried this in an air fryer however you could cook the chicken breasts in the air fryer and the sauce on the stovetop.
Flavor is very nice, chicken is tender. Pretty easy to make. Mine came out very pale, almost white not the nice color in your picture. Wondering if there should be another ingredient.
Glad you enjoyed it! No ingredients are missing, the color difference could be due to the type of mushrooms (I used cremini) or brands of ingredients used.
Tasted like a chef cooked it, it was easy and I think I’ll cook it more often!
Delicious
This recipe is amazing!! I have tried many, many of your recipes and they are ALL delicious!! Thank you Holly for bringing everyone such great, easy dishes!!!
Excellent and easy to make. A repeat for sure. Thank you
quick and delicious!!!
The reason I gave this dish only 4 stars is because we did not like the taste of marsala wine.
The chicken, mushrooms and texture of the sauce was great. It was quick and easy to cook up. Just not our taste.
Thanks for your recipes.
This recipe is easy and very good. I use Semi-dry Marsala and it is so good. MY husband doesn’t eat the chicken, he doesn’t care for meat, but he loves the taste of the sauce that the Marsala makes. Easy, quick and very satisfying! It has become one of my go to recipes when time is short.
Thanks Holly!!
Superb! What a treat for the family…and a great addition to our favorites! Thank you!
Excellent and easy to make!
I am wondering what would account for the fat content of 26 grams?
Thanks.
Hi Nancy, the chicken, oil, and butter account for most of the fat content.
would a red wine be a good substitute for the marsala or white wine ?
For this recipe, a white wine is a better option but you can also substitute it for additional chicken broth if you prefer. If you try it with red wine I would love to hear what you think of it!
Would it be ok to double the sauce? This is one of my favorites from your site. I have made a lot of your recipes and just like all the others words can’t describe how good they are. Just seem to run out of sauce on this one .. Thanks so much for all you do ..
I’m so glad you’ve loved the recipes James. This should double well, I would recommend a 12-inch skillet if you have one. You may need to add a few minutes of extra cooking time.
Easy recipe and turned out great!
Mine got a bit thick, would use a bit more broth next time.
Would there be a recommendation to swap for the wine?
Hi Candy, it will change the flavor slightly but you can replace the wine with additional chicken broth if you prefer.
Really a well-balanced marsala recipe! Better than any of my competing local Italian restaurants!